The baling of materials is an ancient practice continued in modern times in a variety of industries. Of particular relevance to the instant disclosure are the recycling industries where materials such as paper, cardboard, and other cellulose materials are baled for shipment to a recycling plant where they are debaled and repulped to be reclaimed in another cellulose based end product. Likewise, plastics recycling uses a plurality of post-consumer collection points at which plastic products are baled for shipment to a recycling facility where the bales are broken. Clearly, if the bale strapping materials are not the same as the material in the bales then the strapping would contaminate the baled material if such were not removed prior to recycling. Further, when the strapping is a wire or metal strap, it can do significant damage to the recycling machinery if not removed.
Heretofore, various complex devices have been proposed to remove strapping, however, the only known devices are cumbersome and do not achieve an efficiency satisfactory to meet the standards required for automated recycling of pulp or plastics and have difficulty in dewiring odd sized bales.